Judge awards $525M to evangelist's abuse victims A circuit judge in Arkansas has awarded more than half a billion dollars in damages to seven women who were physically, sexually and psychologically abused by Tony Alamo when they belonged to the evangelist's ministry. Miller County Circuit Judge Kirk Johnson entered a default judgment this week against Twenty First Century Holiness Tabernacle Church, an arm of Alamo Ministries, after the group, based in southwestern Arkansas, failed to respon...

Woman pleads guilty to faking nurse credentials LITTLE ROCK (AP) — A woman accused of posing as a nurse while working at a Searcy elementary school pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal charges that could land her in prison for more than 20 years, though the government asked the judge to limit her prison time. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Morgan and the defense asked U.S. District Judge Brian Miller to sentence Susan Elaine Boyce, 57, to the longest probation allowed but on the low end o...

Prosecutors attack Shoffner's motion to dismiss LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Federal prosecutors argue in court papers that a judge would be wrong to dismiss corruption charges against former Arkansas treasurer Martha Shoffner. The government on Wednesday filed a response to an earlier motion by Shoffner that asks a judge to throw out 14 bribery and extortion counts, on which she is to be tried starting Monday. Shoffner is accused of accepting $36,000 to steer state business to a bond dealer. She arg...

Appeals court: Have hearing on juror in meth case LITTLE ROCK (AP) — A federal appeals panel has granted a request by a man convicted in a drug case to explore whether the presence of an alternate juror during deliberations made his trial unfair. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Wednesday ordered a hearing to determine the level of participation the alternate juror had during deliberations that led to Manuel Maldonado Aguilar's conviction. Maldonado was arrested in Little Rock in 2011...

Bond hearings (Feb. 25, 2014)The following individuals appeared in felony bond hearings Monday at the Pope County Detention Center. Their names, ages, anticipated charges and bond amounts are listed. If charged, they will appear April 7 in Circuit Court. n Julie Dale, 35, theft, forgery and breaking or entering — $50,000. Dale allegedly attempted to sell stolen jewelry at a local store. The total value of the jewelry reported stolen was more than $1,000. In addition, Dale...

Man caught with meth worth $475,000A California man was ordered held in lieu of $200,000 bond after 10 pounds of alleged methamphetamine was found in his vehicle. According to a police report, David Moreno, 32, was pulled over by an Arkansas State Police trooper on Sunday for a traffic violation. Moreno was driving eastbound on Interstate 40 between Russellville and Clarksville at the time of the traffic stop. The officer noted in his report that Moreno appeared nervous and had...

Bond Hearing (Feb. 22, 2014)The following individuals appeared in felony bond hearings Friday at the Pope County Detention Center. Their names, ages, anticipated charges and bond amounts are listed. If charged, they will appear March 17 in Circuit Court. • Larry D. Collins, 39, two counts delivery of a controlled substance (methamphetamine) — $15,000. An agent with the Fifth Judicial District Drug Task Force testified agents purchased methamphetamine from Collins on two ...

Trumann man pleads guilty to Caraway school attack JONESBORO (AP) — A Trumann man has been sentenced to five years' probation after pleading guilty to attacking three students at an elementary school in Caraway in 2012. The Jonesboro Sun reported Michael Wayne Stayton, 49, was sentenced Friday after Stayton pleaded guilty to three counts of battery. Stayton was also ordered to undergo alcohol and drug rehabilitation and to have no contact with the victims. Stayton was arrested Sept. 18, 2012, ...

Police: 4 dead, 2 injured in Northern California shooting ALTURAS, Calif. (AP) — Four people were shot to death and two others wounded in a shooting and knife attack Thursday at an American Indian tribal headquarters in California, authorities said. Alturas Police Chief Ken Barnes said 44-year-old Sherie Lash was taken into custody after allegedly opening fire at the Cedarville Rancheria Tribal Office and Community Center in Alturas, about 55 miles south of the Oregon border and 35 miles west of the ...

Inmate asks for new death penalty hearingLITTLE ROCK (AP) — A man sentenced to death for a 1993 killing at a Little Rock laundry asked the Arkansas Supreme Court on Thursday to order a new sentencing hearing on grounds the jury didn't consider evidence that he had a troubled childhood. Terrick Nooner, 42, was convicted of killing Scot Stobaugh, 22, of Russellville during a robbery. A second person also was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Josh Lee, Nooner's a...

Bond hearings (Feb. 19, 2014)The following individuals appeared in felony bond hearings Wednesday at the Pope County Detention Center. Their names, ages, anticipated charges and bond amounts are listed. If charged, they will appear March 17 in Circuit Court. • Matthew Nordin, 27, commercial burglary and theft of property — $7,500. Officers responded Dec. 29 to a burglary call at a church. The suspects allegedly entered the church through an unlocked back door and stole se...

Judge excludes some evidence from Shoffner trial LITTLE ROCK (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday granted a request by former Arkansas Treasurer Martha Shoffner to exclude some evidence in her corruption trial next month. Shoffner is to be tried starting March 3 on a 14-count bribery and extortion indictment. U.S. District Judge J. Leon Holmes ruled that prosecutors can't introduce evidence from 10 new mail fraud charges added this month, for which Shoffner is to be tried separately. Holmes w...

Scammers use police phone numbersAlleged con artists posing as law enforcement officials have targeted Arkansas River Valley residents in a new scam. Russellville Police Department Public Information Officer Drew Latch said alleged scammers are using computer software when they make phone calls that allows them to program any number to show on the recipient’s caller ID. In the recent cases, they program the caller ID to show the phone number of RPD or other local law enforcem...

Government describes evidence for Shoffner trial LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Federal prosecutors filed court papers Monday seeking permission to introduce evidence at the bribery and extortion trial of former Arkansas treasurer Martha Shoffner that would show the steps she took when allegedly accepting more than $36,000 from a bond broker. Shoffner is to be tried starting March 3 on 14 counts from her indictment. Earlier this month, another 10 mail fraud counts were added to the charging document, al...

Man charged in teen death says he shot to scareLITTLE ROCK (AP) — A man accused of fatally shooting a 15-year-old girl told investigators he fired his pistol because he wanted to scare a carload of teenagers he believed vandalized his vehicle, Little Rock police said Tuesday. Police released an account of the shooting, which they said followed a series of pranks between groups of young people over the weekend. A police spokesman, Lt. Sidney Allen, said the man charged in the shooting is th...

Police: 15-year-old killed in Little Rock shooting LITTLE ROCK(AP) — Police in Little Rock say a 15-year-old girl has been killed in a shooting on the city’s southwest side and that a suspect is in custody. Police spokesman Sidney Allen says the girl was found in a car at a convenience store shortly before 1 a.m. Saturday. Allen says someone opened fire on the car after those in the car did an unspecified prank on the suspect’s home. Allen says 15-year-old Adrian Broadway was shot in the head ...

Names released of those in police shooting HELENA-WEST HELENA (AP) — Authorities have released the names of a Helena-West Helena police officer and two brothers who were all wounded in a shooting in the eastern Arkansas city. Arkansas State Police say Officer Matthew Jarrett and brothers David Randle and Charlie Randle were wounded in the Thursday afternoon shooting when Jarrett and other officers went to a home in the city to serve a search warrant as part of what Police Chief Uless W...

Stabbing suspect held on $12,500 bondA woman accused in a Thursday evening stabbing was ordered held on $12,500 bond. Sharon Gentry, 44, appeared in felony bond hearings Friday on suspicion of second-degree battery. She was arrested on Thursday when officers responded shortly after 6:30 p.m. to a possible stabbing near the intersection of North Hartford Avenue and East G Street. Officers arrived on scene and witnessed a victim lying on the ground who had several injuries and was ...

Bond hearings (Feb. 15, 2014)The following individuals appeared in felony bond hearings Friday at the Pope County Detention Center. Their names, ages, anticipated charges and bond amounts are listed. If charged, they will appear March 17 in Circuit Court. • William Dowdell, 49, domestic battery — $20,000. Dowdell was arrested Wednesday when a female victim went to a store in Hector and claimed she had been assaulted. The victim had blood on her face and clothes from a cut...